John Farnham’s ‘river to the sea’ and Queensland’s war on words

We have two strong hearts
We stick together like honey and bees
you and me
We have two strong hearts
stretching out forever like one river to sea
free running
free running

“Two Strong Hearts” from John Farnham’s 1988 album Age of Reason

Of course it was fucking Queensland.

If any state in Australia were to look at the rise in antisemitism and conclude that the immediate policy response was to criminalize two slogans, it was always going to be the slogan that gave the country Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Peter Dutton, Pauline Hanson, cane toads and the Gold Coast.